THREATS
Two common human activities continue to threaten giant armadillo and have forced the species into vulnerable status . Deforestation reduces their available habitat , while hunting for their meat , a traditional indigenous practice , compounds this pressure . We might hope that their declining numbers could be higher than observed , given it can be challenging to see them at night . Legally protected in Argentina and the neighboring countries they live in , local communities that rely on them for meat could require assistance from their governments to substitute other protein sources and alleviate pressure on giant armadillo .
WHY DO THEY MATTER ?
Similar to Sri Lanka ’ s asian elephant , giant armadillos are considered ‘ habitat engineers .’ Why ? When these creatures dig their deep burrows , they create new habitat , and they share ; many other animals have been observed using their burrows while they are out at night , including snakes and bush dogs ! This doesn ’ t seem to bother giant armadillos one bit . Where their populations have been driven down by hunting , many other species have suffered as a result of the loss of habitat . This is a classic example of the interconnectedness and co-dependence we see in every ecosystem .
INTERESTING FACT :
Giant armadillo are unusual enough with their armour and claws , but they also have the most teeth of any terrestrial mammal : 80 - 100 ! On top of that , they sleep up to 18 hours a day ! One has to wonder why they need so much sleep ; perhaps it has something to do with their relatively low body temperatures .
Pick an animal and draw a 2-dimensional or build a 3-dimensional version to scale .
There are many different units of measurement mentioned in the Endangered Animals section . Write a list of all the different units and research their equivalencies . For example , how many pounds ( lbs ) are in one kilogram ( kg )?
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